• 2011 C4 Comic Con Report

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    This year’s C4 Comic Con was the most successful than previous years for both Coscom Entertainment and myself. Loads of books went, lots of fans were met, lots of autographs were signed, lots of pictures taken. It was awesome.

    Usually I report on the con over the course of three days. Well, I’m shaking it up this year and am giving you a mammoth report now. All pictures taken are below.

    It was also thrilling to be surrounded by so many people I work with. My wife, Roxanne, was there with a table for her Fuzz Society comic books and her 24-hour comic, Average Jill. Axiom-man cover artist Justin Shauf was there, and he and I promoted our special edition minicomic, Meet the Maximums. Rhiannon Paille was there promoting her debut novel, Flame of Surrender. From out of town came J.L. MacDonald (author of the Nightcat book series), and J.B. Robb. They both appear in the upcoming Metahumans vs the Undead anthology that I just edited and is going to press soon.

    What was really cool was Roxanne, myself, Justin and Rhiannon were all in the same area in a kind of U-shape, making it easy for us to refer fans and readers to our respective tables for signatures and sales.

    Last, thanks to everyone who came out and bought a book, comic, artwork, said hi, and checked out our stuff. Because of folks like you, we can keep creating and sharing it with the world.

    Here’s a pile of pics from the con from over the weekend, displayed in the order they were taken.

    Comic con is my favorite time of year aside from Christmas. I’m still sitting here processing all that went down (including say hi to Kevin Sorbo, giving Jonathan Frakes a nod in the VIP room, and walking past William Shatner as I went to get a sandwich).

  • Interview with FUZZ SOCIETY Creator Roxanne Fuchs

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    My wife Roxanne has been publicly doing comics for a little over six months now, her first published project being a webcomic (with print alternatives) called Fuzz Society. I thought it would be fun to interview her here at Canister X and help her spread the word about what she is doing, so show her some love, read on, and visit the links when they appear.

    Thanks.

    1) For those who don’t know you, why don’t you introduce yourself and tell people a little bit about Fuzz Society?

    My name is Roxanne Fuchs, and I grew up wanting to create, whether that meant doodling my own characters, making crafts, learning to knit/crochet, sew (I used to love embroidery as a young adult), web design, listening to and playing music (though I did not get formal training, I’ve always tried to teach myself).

    Fuzz Society is really a comic geared towards girls and women, though guys may find it cute too, but I’m really using it as a means of communicating the stuff many females experience in life, and reaching out to those around me. It circles around a group of friends, who’ve met mostly because of Lyra Ladybug, the tie-in character and cutie pie who is very much like myself (minus the wings and antennae. of course)! Its starts out with her grabbing onto a gum wrapper one day and finding herself lost as she explores a place she’s never been to. She’s led a very sheltered life until now, and so almost everything is new to her. But as she meets new animal friends, she also learns about love and friendship, and the differences in the ways males and females think. It’s a manga/anime inspired adventure, with romance and all the wit you can handle! For more info, I also have a FAQ page on my website at http://www.fuzzsociety.com

    2) Anyone particular that has heavily influenced you as an artist?

    In terms of Japanese art, I’ve always loved the girly stuff, so I enjoyed the Sailor Moon series a lot, and video games like Street Fighter, Final Fantasy, etc. In general, though, I would say I’ve always just tried to keep drawing and doodling since I was very young, including drawing superheroes and my favourite cartoon characters. I’ve always wanted to be good at what I do so I’d always practice. And after reading the Bone series, Jeff Smith inspired me a lot as I admire his line work and characters. In particular, though, the anime style has stuck with me the longest.

    3) Most comic creators have their own way of putting their story to paper. How do you go about creating a page?

    I would say, it’s a bit different than most people do it. I start out with my general idea for where I want my comic to go, then I do a mini sketch on note paper, and afterwards, I’ll jump right into sketching the real thing on Bristol board. This process can take a while as since I don’t have a full script written out, I never know for sure what’s going to happen on that page; it’s always an adventure! Then I get my husband, A.P. Fuchs (editor’s note: that’s me), to edit it, I ink it, erase the pencil lines and scan/clean it up before posting online. It’s quite the process if you think about it, and I’m hoping all the TLC is obvious in the final product.

    4) Fuzz Society has been running since October. I know you’ve done a few other non-published comics before, but were you always a comic creator or an artist? When did you start making comics in general?

    Yes, I would say I’ve always been an artist. I remember I would grab hold of whatever paper I could find and doodle on it. It didn’t matter if it was my school binder or a scrap of paper from a flyer. I started drawing comics in junior high, just for myself. It was partially an escape for me, me always having enjoyed reading fantasy and watching sci-fi stuff. So yeah, at a young age I was trying out comic art. And before that, I was always collecting superhero comic cards (back when they still made them, anyways). I’ve always been a creative type of person, never knew what I wanted to do for a living as a kid, wasn’t even sure as a teenager. I tried to pursue “regular” jobs and schooling, but it didn’t pan out, and after having the opportunity to work from home on comics, I thought I would give it a shot. At first it was quite daunting, and intimidating the thought of putting out an issue, but now I’m really getting into it, and it just flows much better.

    5) Why did you suddenly move from just drawing and making comics for fun, to actually releasing the material both online and in print?

    My husband (editor’s note: that’s me again ;) ) really encouraged me to do this, as he saw the potential in me, and I’m glad he’s been so supportive of me. Plus, after going to a lot of conventions, I’ve been inspired to finally do something with my art, and just see where it goes. It’s quite exciting really.

    6) Are you a full-time artist?

    Yes and no. I would say, yes in the sense that I’m always thinking about what my next page will be about, so my head gets full sometimes, but that’s how it is. And no, in the sense that I’m a full-time mom so most of my day is spent either with my boys, or running the household. There’s not much time for art, so it is usually tricky to find the time to work on it, at least right now.

    7) What are you favourite comic books or graphic novels?

    I’m a Dazzler fan (old school), the Bone series, Black Cat and Rourouni Kenshin, the old Avengers comics (because it’s been a while since I’ve read them), and Watchmen to name a few. I just found a new webcomic I’m enjoying called Super Siblings as well.

    8) Where can people learn more about you and Fuzz Society?

    www.fuzzsociety.com or on Facebook, there’s a fan page as well.

    9) If you could spend a day with any comic book character, who would it be and why?

    I would love to hang out with Dazzler, sing along with her at some different gigs, and really experience the thrill of being a rock star. I’ve always enjoyed singing, so I’m kind of partial to her. ;)

    10) Any last comments?

    Yes, thanks for doing the interview! You’re super, man! :)

  • Coscom Entertainment at the Central Canada Comic Con

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    When: Friday, October 29 at 4:00pm – October 31 at 6:00pm
    Where: The Winnipeg Convention Center, 375 York Ave., Winnipeg, MB

    Hi folks,

    Coscom Entertainment is back at this year’s Central Canada Comic Con. We’re talking a crazy huge venue with all kinds of comics, games, toys, celebrity guests, artists, costumes and more. Three days of super fanboy and fangirl fun!

    Myself and Coscom Entertainment will be back again this year. It’s our fourth year and we’ve had a blast at each and every one of them. It’s honestly the thing I look forward to most every year.

    We’d love for you to attend not only for a good time of all things fandom, but also to celebrate the release of my zombie novel, Possession of the Dead, and my wife, Roxanne’s, loveable comic book, Fuzz Society.

    What’s Possession of the Dead about? Glad you asked. (Okay, I asked for you, but whatever.)

    Angels.

    Demons.

    Giant Zombies.

    Things have changed.

    Ever since returning through the Storm of Skulls to the present day, Joe, Billie and August have discovered the world they now inhabit, is not the world they left behind. The zombie threat has evolved to gargantuan proportions. Now aided by giant undead—massive monsters with phenomenal strength and power, with deadly appetites just as vast—the zombie population moves to devour any and all life.

    Separated from his friends, Joe learns that not all hope is lost for humanity when he meets, Tracy, a woman who exudes a strength to rival his own. Tracy brings him to the Hub, an underground sanctuary where life continues in a dead world, but his thoughts linger on his missing friends.

    August and Billie have problems of their own, and soon learn the same plight that affected a past friend of theirs now affects many: zombies with shapeshifting capability. Now, anyone is suspect. Yet even with this newfound knowledge, more is heaped upon them when the agenda of the undead is revealed and humanity is the one caught in the crossfire.

    A war is raging, one between angels and demons, monsters and man.

    And it’s only escalating.

    Please note this is the sequel to Blood of the Dead, which is always a hot item at the cons.

    ***

    As for Fuzz Society, it’s the polar opposite of zombies, but cool nonetheless. The story is:

    Come along for a big-scale adventure with Lyra Ladybug–the cutest bug you’ll ever meet–who’s full of curiousity, and who’s not afraid to stand up for herself even though she’s tiny. Watch as she gets carried along through Gossling Park on a gum wrapper, and finds herself lost in a land so familiar yet so far from her own, only to meet up with new friends along the way. Perhaps even one who’s more than friends.

    It’s fun, adventure and budding romance in this first issue of Fuzz Society!

    ***

    We’ll also have a table LOADED with zombie and superhero books, plus a few other cool fandom-related items. Just look for the table with the black and white Coscom Entertainment banner, or me, the big hairy guy standing next to a cute ladybug.

    Come by, say hi, and let’s talk comics and art, books and writing, and anything else you want!

    See you there.

    Thanks.

  • Have You Seen This Ladybug? – Fuzz Society No. 1 is Released!

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    Fuzz Society No. 1 Cover

    This past Tuesday my wife, Roxanne, released her webcomic, Fuzz Society. I’m super stoked for her because I read the first issue and it’s really good.

    She’s got the bulk of the website up for the comic, and we’ll be fine-tuning it as we go along. A new page is to be posted every Tuesday and Thursday, so please be sure to check back on those days for some ladybug comic goodness.

    If you don’t want to wait for the issue to air in its entirety online, you can jump ahead and download a copy of the eComic edition from the following online retailers. A print edition will be available through her site later next week.

    Amazon Kindle.com
    Amazon Kindle.co.uk
    Wowio
    DrivethruComics
    Scribd.com

    What’s it about?

    Come along for a big-scale adventure with Lyra Ladybug–the cutest bug you’ll ever meet–who’s full of curiousity, and who’s not afraid to stand up for herself even though she’s tiny. Watch as she gets carried along through Gossling Park on a gum wrapper, and finds herself lost in a land so familiar yet so far from her own, only to meet up with new friends along the way. Perhaps even one who’s more than friends. It’s fun, adventure and budding romance in this first issue of Fuzz Society!

    Please show her support and read the comic here. Trust me, you’ll dig it, even if the cute animals aren’t zombies.

  • Canister X Newsletter Vol. 1, No. 6

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    Canister X Newsletter Vol. 1 No. 6

    September 2010

    This month has been absolutely insane in terms of workload, which is why this edition of the newsletter is coming to you on the last possible day.

    Aside from being busy personally with weddings, birthday parties, family stuff and Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions (yeah, yeah, I know), professionally I’ve been working like a madman to get Possession of the Dead done on time so I can launch it at Central Canada Comic Con at the end of October.

    So many days were spent logging in 4,000 words or more into the book, never mind rewrites, edits, formatting, and all the rest. As of this writing, I still have to piece together the cover, wait for my wife to finish reading it as first reader, and get the sucker off to press.

    This is whirlwind publishing at its finest. However, despite the late nights, stressful days and all-round craziness, I’ve learned to really push myself creatively on a daily basis and have discovered what I’m capable of in terms of work production. This knowledge has now opened up doors for me, these newly-learned skills now something I can take forward into future projects.

    I hope you celebrate this crazy workload with me next month when Possession of the Dead is released by buying either a paperback or eBook edition of the book. Thanks in advance.

    ____________________________________

    This month also brought around a foreign rights interest in Coscom Entertainment’s titles. Nothing is in stone yet so I can’t say who or what. I’ve been down this road before so I know not to go cracking open the champagne until ink is on the page. Just a heads up, however.

    ____________________________________

    As mentioned above, I spent a lot of time playing Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, the newest Spider-Man game out there. (I play on a PS3.)

    I usually play a game on easy mode first, just so I can get deep into it, explore and learn more about it without constantly getting stuck, so finishing Spider-Man only took a few days. However, there are additional challenges per level you need to do aside from just beating the bad guy, and every time you beat a challenge, you get points (spider essence) plus you unlock new combat moves, and character features like health and costumes. There are 180 challenges in total and I’m sitting at 173 completed (I think). You’re able to go back and replay levels to complete them. When I hit 180, then I’m going to do the game again in normal mode, which in turn unlocks behind-the-scenes stuff like wallpaper art. The hard mode unlocks other things as well.

    ____________________________________

    If you’ve been watching my Twitter feed, you’ll know I heard from Hughes Capital Entertainment in LA just the other day. I’m waiting to connect with them either by phone or email to see what’s going on. Let’s hope the news is good.

    ____________________________________

    It’s a new season of Smallville, the final one, and the premiere was on the 24th. The premiere had us off to a promising start, planting seeds for future episodes, and a few twist moments. I’m particularly interested in when Clark becomes Superman, especially now that we’ve seen the suit, and also when he gets his glasses because right now, the whole secret identity thing doesn’t make sense as, because he’s working at the Daily Planet, people there know what he looks like without his glasses.

    I’m sure this season’s story arc involving Darkseid will play into–maybe–some kind of time alteration or memory wipe or whatnot.

    ____________________________________

    The Canister X comic book project is still a go. I’m still at 11 pages because all of September was spent writing. There’s still a chance the first issue will be out by the end of October. We’ll see, but, yes, the comic is coming and once one issue is out, then more will follow and in a timely manner.

    Speaking of art, I uploaded some of my old artwork to DeviantArt as a kind of showcase. It’s a work-in-progress in that more will be added as time goes on, especially once the Canister X comic is out. In the meantime, you can check it out here.

    Lastly, in regards to comics, my wife, Roxanne, finished her comic book and is now in the inking stage. We’ll be releasing it at the comic con at the end of October. The book is called Fuzz Society and has a fan group on Facebook here. Please join and show her support. I read the comic and it’s really good and I’m not just saying that because I’m her husband. It’s coming out through Coscom Entertainment and I wouldn’t publish it unless it was publish-worthy. Really excited and happy for her.

    Thanks again for tuning in. See you in October.

    Best,

    A.P. Fuchs
    Winnipeg, MB
    September 30, 2010